EXCLUSIVE — The White House will not release visitor logs during President Donald Trump‘s second term, a move that aligns with the policy of his first administration, according to a White House official.
For months, transparency advocates have pressed Trump to disclose who he and his staff will be meeting with on a routine basis, which former President Joe Biden did monthly through the release of visitor logs. However, doing so is not a requirement since visitor logs are subject to the Presidential Records Act — a law shielding them from the public until five years after a president leaves office.
Former President Barack Obama was the first president to disclose visitor logs after facing pressure from conservative and progressive watchdog groups, who argued that doing so was a basic level of transparency. The Bush and Clinton administrations declined to release visitor logs voluntarily.
Under Biden, public visitor logs that were posted on the White House’s website provided a window into the wealthy donors and activists who met with officials. Alex Soros, the son of Democratic megadonor George Soros, scored around two dozen visits to the White House. Visitor logs also showed that Biden’s physician met with a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson’s disease.
According to visitor logs, then-Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly hosted left-leaning nonprofit organization leaders for meetings as they worked to shape federal policy.
Still, the telling of the Trump administration has already displayed a historic level of transparency and is delivering on Trump’s campaign promises.
A White House official pointed to the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to cut federal spending and Trump’s release of records tied to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
The official also pointed to media access under Trump, such as his restoration of press passes that were revoked under Biden and Trump’s taking of questions from reporters multiple times per week.
“Promises made, promises kept was more than just a campaign slogan — President Trump was transparent about his America First agenda, and voters gave him a mandate to deliver,” said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman.
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“In just three weeks, President Trump has already delivered on many promises he made during the campaign trail: launching the largest deportation program in history of criminal illegal aliens, declaring a national energy emergency, restoring peace through strength in the Middle East, exposing billions of federal spending wasting hard-earned tax dollars, and entering into a new Golden Age,” Rogers said. “After four years of the Biden administration’s empty promises, lies, and secrets, President Trump is giving the people and the press a level of access and transparency never seen before.”
Christian Datoc contributed reporting.